Editorial: V-22 Osprey earns its wings

Amarillo-produced aircraft deployed

Sometime today, the U.S. Marine Corps is scheduled to announce the deployment of the first V-22 Osprey squadron.

It might be sent to the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq. It might go elsewhere.

This much is certain: The aircraft that has made such an impact in Amarillo and the Panhandle is going to answer the call to duty in defense of the nation.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway is going to announce the deployment at a press conference and will provide details to the public about where the aircraft will serve, and in what capacity.

The Osprey, assembled at the Bell Textron plant in Amarillo, is the Pentagon's newest generation of troop-lift aircraft. It's high-tech, state-of-the-art and much faster than the dual-rotor Vietnam War-era helicopters it is designed to replace.

Yes, it's been a bumpy ride at times for the Osprey. It has been beset by technical difficulties, tragedy and criticism from those who have doubted the aircraft's capabilities.

The Marine Corps is more than satisfied that the tiltrotor aircraft - which takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies forward like a fixed-wing airplane - is up to the task of ferrying troops in and out of battle.

It's been a long haul for the Amarillo-based employees who have toiled to make the Osprey fit for deployment. They should take pride that the day has arrived.